1. Field
The described technology relates generally to a lighting apparatus, and more specifically, to an organic light emitting diode lighting apparatus using an organic light emitting diode.
2. Description of the Related Technology
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) includes a hole injection electrode, an organic emission layer, and an electron injection electrode. An organic light emitting diode emits light by energy generated when excitons generated by combining electrons and holes inside an organic emission layer fall to a ground state.
The organic light emitting diode lighting apparatus is a lighting apparatus using an organic light emitting diode, which is a surface light source. The organic light emitting diode lighting apparatus has been widely used for various purposes due to inherent advantages of the surface light source.
Generally, when the organic light emitting diode lighting apparatus emits one color of light, the entire current supplied to the organic light emitting diode through a single wire can be controlled. On the other hand, when the organic light emitting diode lighting apparatus should emit various colors of light and control luminance for each color component, the apparatus should use multiple wires that supply different power to cells of each color.
However, when the organic light emitting diode lighting apparatus uses multiple wires, its structure is complicated by space limitations and a more readily occurring voltage drop (IR-drop).
In addition, when the organic light emitting diode reaches the end of its operational life-span or is in a poorly functioning state, the amount of current increases. As a result of this process, through a positive feedback mechanism, the organic light emitting diode comes to be in an approximate short state. As a consequence, when one area of the organic light emitting diode is in a short state, most of the available current is concentrated in the one area. Accordingly, other areas do not get sufficient current and poor image quality affects organic light emitting diodes.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in art.